Two point log grapple



March 19, 1963 R. H. LINDBERG TWO POINT LOG GRAPPLE Filed Aug. 25, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 19, 1963 I R. H. LINDBERG 3,082,031

TWO POINT LOG GRAPPLE Filed Aug. 25, 1958 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 22 INVENTORy X ROBERT h. Z/NO 852G @WTFQ March 19, 1963 H. LINDBERG 3,082,031

TWO POINT LOG GRAPPLE Filed Aug. 25, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Relate-r H. LINDBERC- HTTORNE'V from the boom and as appliedto a log.

United States Patent )1 3,032,031 TWO. POINT LOG GRAPPLE Iron Works, doing business as Young Iron Works, Seattle, Wash, :1 company of Washington Filed Aug. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 756,866 3 Claims. (Cl. 294-111) -boom loader and embodying novel features of design and construction and characterized by its two legs or jaws,

which are so joined as to overlap each other in closing,

and in which the jaw closing force is created by an up- 'ward pull applied through a hinge pin by which the jaws are connected and by the downward application of force applied through the grapple suspending frame to theouter portions of the jaws below the hinge pin connection.

It is a further object of the present invention; to pro vide a grapple of the above stated character having its jaws so designed that their application to a selected or designated log in a deck is greatly facilitated, and wherein the grapple jaws or legs are equipped at their inner edges with pads that are designed to engage the log to neutralize the twisting effect that is inherent ina grapple of two leg scissors-type design.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a grapple of the kindabove stated that allows the log to pivot .between the grapple jaws, upon being lifted, and allows the grapple frame to maintain its alignment at all times, while under load, with the load line.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a log grapple of the character above stated that has itsupper end frame equipped with an open sided fairlead that permits canting of the grapple to either side without detrimental wear on the load line incident to pick up of the load and without displacing the load line from the fair lead rolls.

Still further objects and advantages of the invention .-reside in the details of construction of its various parts; in their combination, relationship and mode of use, as .will hereinafter be fully described.

in accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved'details .of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective viewof alog grapple embodied by thepresent invention as employed in conjunctionwith a heeling boom loader, showing the grapple as suspended FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present grapple with thepoints of the jaws holdingly engaged with a log as lifted there-by.

FIG. 3 is aside view of the grapple with the paired jaws in partly closed position.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section,.taken on the line 4-4 in FIG. 3, especially illustrating the position of fair lead rollers in the upper end structure.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section, taken on line 55 in FIG. 3.

.Robert H. Lindberg, Seattle, Wash., assignor to Isaacson I '12, is -a depending link 13.

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FIG. 6 is a side view of the grapple showing the overlap of paired jaws when fully closed.

FIG. '7 is a detail ofthe open sided fairleader frame which permits canting of the grapple without causing cable wear.

FIG.-8 is a plan viewillustrating the application of the grapple to one of the logs in a group or deck of logs.

Referring more in'detail to the drawings:

The present grapple comprises a rigid upper end frame structure made up of a-horizontally disposed cross-beam 10 to one end of which a downwardly extending-and somewhat outwardly inclined leg 11 is rigidly fixed. Fixed pivotally to the opposite end of the cross-beam 10, by means of a horizontal, transversely directed pivot pin This link extends downwardlyfrom cross-beam 10 substantially to the same extent asthe leg 11 and it is paired therewith for support ofthegrapple jaws 15-15"that are located between them.

The paired jaws 1515' are substantially alike in size and in construction and are pivotally joinedby a pivot pin 16 for their scissors-like opening and closing action.

Each jaw includes a downwardly directed and inwardly curved lower end jaw portion proper, and a lever arm that continuesfronr the upper end of said jaw portion The lever arms of the two jaws 15- 15', designated respectively by numerals 17 and 17, are joined in crossed relationship by the pivot pin 1-6 which extends therethrough,- as has been well} shown in FIG. 4. Each jaw also isformed at its outer-ortop side,-substantially at its junction with its controlling lever arm with a-bearinglug 20. The bearing lug 20 of jaw 15 is fitted between laterally spaced wings 21 at the lower end of the frame leg 11 and is there secured by a pivot pin 22. Likewise, the bearing 20 of jaw 15' is fitted between laterally spaced wings 23 at the lower end of link 13 and secured thereto by a pivot pin 24. With the paired jaws 1515' so pivotally joined in crossed relationship and pivotally suspended by the leg 11 and 1ink 13, they may be actuated between the open and closed'positions in which they have been shown, respectively, in FIGS. 2 and 6, and with their opening and closing actions they pivot on the supporting pins 22 and 24 and also about the joining pivot pin 16; this latter pin being extended through the crossed lever arms 17 and 17 between their inner and outer ends, as well shown in FIG. 3.

The present log grapple is designed for use with present daytypes of heeling boom loaders. in FIGS. 1 and 2 the outer end portion ofa-heelingboom of a typical loader has been shown and has been designated by reference numeral 30. It is equipped at its outer end with a f airleader, designated in its entirety by reference numeral 31, through which two cables are extended. Oneof these cables, herein designated by reference numeral 32, is the holding cable. It extends from. a cable winding drum located on the loader but not herein shown, along the ends and extending upwardly therefrom. Thus, by paying the cable 32. out from or by winding it in on its drum,

thegrapple can be lowered or raised relative to the end of the boom, accordingly.

The other of the-two control cables, herein designated by reference numeral 35, after passing from a cable winding drum on the leader, along the boom and through the fairleader 31, extends downwardly to the grapple ja passing first about the underside of a sheave wheel 38 that is mounted by a pivot pin 38' in the outer end of the lever arm 17 of jaw 15, thence upwardly and about the top side of a sheave wheel 39 mounted by a pivot pin 39' in the cross beam.10, and thence downwardly and is dead ended in a clevis 40 pivotally attached by a pin 41 to the end of lever arm 17 of jaw 15. Thus, by paying out the cable 35, the closed jaws will be permitted to open under their own weight and by winding in the cable, the jaws can be closed. Cable 35 is herein referred to as the jaw controlling cable.

Referring again to the main frame structure that is comprised by the cross-beam 10 and leg 11; it is to be explained that in the present instance these parts are fabricated from metal plates. The cross-beam as shown best in FIG. 4 comprises laterally spaced opposite side plates 10a and 10b that are joined approximately midway of their ends in parallel spaced vertical planes by the lower portion of plate 34 that forms the central hanger bracket to which the cable 32 is attached. At one end they are joined by an interposed plate 45, seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 and at the opposite end by the upper end of the web portion 11x of the leg 11 which depends therefrom. Mounted transversely between the laterally spaced plates 10a and 10b, and at one side of the plane of plate 34, to rotate on horizontal axes 46'46' are spaced rollers 46-46 between which the cable 35 is guided to the sheave 38 that is mounted in the lever arm of jaw 15 as seen in FIG. 3.

The upper portion of end plate 45 extends somewhat above the level of the cross-beam 10 and mounted by and between said upper portion of plate 45 and the hanger bracket 34 to rotate on horizontal, parallel axes, are paired rollers 4747, these rollers being spaced sufficiently to pass the cable 35 between them as shown in FIG. 4. It is to be observed also, by reference more particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, that the end plate 45 is deeply recessed, as at 48, between the axial lines of the rollers 4747 in order that in the canting of the grapple away from that side, the cable 35 can pass freely to or from the rollers 46-46 without undue wear thereon. The same provision for passing of the cable to the opposite end of beam 10 is made by similarly recessing the plate 34 which forms the hanger bracket; this being shown at 48x in FIG. 7. The relationship of cable 35 to the frame when the grapple is canted to opposite sides is indicated by its dash lines showing in FIG. 3.

The link 13 which suspends jaw 15' is preferably fabricated from paired links joined in laterally spaced relationship by a web 13w. Likewise, the frame leg 11 comprises opposite side members that are joined by a web 11x.

The jaws 1515' are each fabricated from opposite side plates cut to shape and joined in spaced relationship by interposed plates to give each paw the desired transverse width. When pivotally joined, the jaws are disposed side to side in laterally spaced planes as seen in FIG. 5. To give those curved seat forming portions which close against the log when gripped, a balanced and directly opposed gripping action, the jaw bodies are equipped along their inner edges with pads 55-55 as seen in FIGS. and 6. Thus in closing against a log the tendency for the frame to angle relative to the log which otherwise would be noted, is hereby nullified.

At their tip ends, the jaws have narrow and slightly upturned toe portions, shown at 56. The transverse width of the jaws is reduced to a minimum to enable them to be dropped in between logs as floated in a mill pond and thus make the pick-up of a selected log easier. This is disclosed by the plan or top view diagram shown in FIG. 8.

One advantage residing in the use of a two point scissorstype grapple resides in the fact that when it closes on a log, either as shown in 'FIG. 1 or in FIG. 2, the log can pivot between the jaws. Another advantage is that, by

reason of this pivoting, the grapple will at all times maintain its alignment with the load line, thus eliminating or reducing bending strains in the grapple jaws. Furthermore, there is less tendency for the gripped log to be torn or damaged by the jaw points.

Another advantage in the two point over a three or four point grapple resides inthe fact that it can be made narrower. Fewer points and minimum width reduces interference in the picking up of logs from a tangled deck. The present two point grapple will readily and almost automatically work itself around a log in a deck or pile, and this is not a characteristic of grapples with three or more points.

The open sided fairlead incorporated in the cross-frame 10 is not to be confined to grapples of this kind but can beapplied to grapples of any kind, as well as to shovels and buckets of different kinds.

It is further to be understood that while the present drawings disclose a welded plate construction, the various parts might well be cast without change in purpose or mode of use.

What I claim as new is:

l. A two point, scissors-type log grapple wherein the jaws are pivotally mounted to open by gravity and wherein the grapple is operative for its intended purpose in any position of the jaws from fully open to fully closed; a pair of cables to lift and control the operation of said grapple, one of said cables being a lifting cable and another of said cables being a controlling cable, said grapple comprising a frame structure, means interconnecting one of said cables to said frame structure, said frame structure including a pair of legs with at least one of said legs being pivotally connected thereto, said log grapple consisting of only two jaws having upper and lower end portions, said jaws having oppositely facing arcuate log engaging surfaces formed thereon at their lower ends, pivot means pivotally interconnecting said jaws above said log engaging surfaces, one of said jaws being pivotally connected between said pivotal interconnection and the lower end thereof to the lower end of one of said legs and the other of said jaws being pivotally connected between said pivotal interconnection and the lower end thereof to the lower end of the other of said legs, the lower end portions of said jaws being in substantial overlapping relationship when the jaws are in fully closed position, said jaws being pivotally connected to the associated legs at points disposed below the pivotal interconnection of the jaws when the jaws are in overlapping position, said jaws including side surfaces at the lower end portions thereof disposed adjacent to the lower portions of said log engaging surfaces, said side surfaces being disposed adjacent to one another when the jaws are in overlapping relationship, all of said lower end portion of one of said jaws lying on one side of a plane lying between said side surfaces when the jaws are in overlapping relationship and all of said lower end portion of the other of said jaws lying on the other side of said plane, the other of said cables being interconnected to at least one of said jaws whereby the paying out of said other cable permits the jaws to open by gravity and whereby the winding in of said other cable causes the jaws to close and apply squeezing pressure against a log therebetween.

2. A grapple as defined in claim 1, including a pad means carried by each of said jaws, each of said pad means including a log engaging surface positioned adjacent to and disposed substantially flush with the log engaging surface of the associated jaw, said pad means on each jaw extending laterally in only one direction from the associated jaw and passing through said plane and being disposed in the path of movement of the other jaw such that a substantially balanced and directly opposed gripping action is provided when the jaws close against a log.

3. A grapple as defined in claim 1, including a sheave interconnected with the upper end portion of at least one 5 of said jaws, a jaw closing cable operatively associated with said sheave and extending upwardly beyond said frame structure, said sheave being disposed within the confines of said frame structure when the jaws are at their limit of movement in a closing direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Troyer July 31, 1956 Wirkkala Mar. 26, 1957 Hibbard et a1 Aug. 20, 1957 Priest July 10, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS Italy Dec. 28, 1953 OTHER REFERENCES 10' 195-8, page 63. 

1. A TWO POINT, SCISSORS-TYPE LOG GRAPPLE WHEREIN THE JAWS ARE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED TO OPEN BY GRAVITY AND WHEREIN THE GRAPPLE IS OPERATIVE FOR ITS INTENDED PURPOSE IN ANY POSITION OF THE JAWS FROM FULLY OPEN TO FULLY CLOSED; A PAIR OF CABLES TO LIFT AND CONTROL THE OPERATION OF SAID GRAPPLE, ONE OF SAID CABLES BEING A LIFTING CABLE AND ANOTHER OF SAID CABLES BEING A CONTROLLING CABLE, SAID GRAPPLE COMPRISING A FRAME STRUCTURE, MEANS INTERCONNECTING ONE OF SAID CABLES TO SAID FRAME STRUCTURE, SAID FRAME STRUCTURE INCLUDING A PAIR OF LEGS WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID LEGS BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED THERETO, SAID LOG GRAPPLE CONSISTING OF ONLY TWO JAWS HAVING UPPER AND LOWER END PORTIONS, SAID JAWS HAVING OPPOSITELY FACING ARCUATE LOG ENGAGING SURFACES FORMED THEREON AT THEIR LOWER ENDS, PIVOT MEANS PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTING SAID JAWS ABOVE SAID LOG ENGAGING SURFACES, ONE OF SAID JAWS BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID PIVOTAL INTERCONNECTION AND THE LOWER END THEREOF TO THE LOWER END OF ONE OF SAID LEGS AND THE OTHER OF SAID JAWS BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID PIVOTAL INTERCONNECTION AND THE LOWER END THEREOF TO THE LOWER END OF THE OTHER OF SAID LEGS, THE LOWER END PORTIONS OF SAID JAWS BEING IN SUBSTANTIAL OVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP WHEN THE JAWS ARE IN FULLY CLOSED POSITION, SAID JAWS BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE ASSOCIATED LEGS AT POINTS DISPOSED BELOW THE PIVOTAL INTERCONNECTION OF THE JAWS WHEN THE JAWS ARE IN OVERLAPPING POSITION, SAID JAWS INCLUDING SIDE SURFACES AT THE LOWER END PORTIONS THEREOF DISPOSED ADJACENT TO THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID LOG ENGAGING SURFACES, SAID SIDE SURFACES BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT TO ONE ANOTHER WHEN THE JAWS ARE IN OVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP, ALL OF SAID LOWER END PORTION OF ONE OF SAID JAWS LYING ON ONE SIDE OF A PLANE LYING BETWEEN SAID SIDE SURFACES WHEN THE JAWS ARE IN OVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP AND ALL OF SAID LOWER END PORTION OF THE OTHER OF SAID JAWS LYING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID PLANE, THE OTHER OF SAID CABLES BEING INTERCONNECTED TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID JAWS WHEREBY THE PAYING OUT OF SAID OTHER CABLE PERMITS THE JAWS TO OPEN BY GRAVITY AND WHEREBY THE WINDING IN OF SAID OTHER CABLE CAUSES THE JAWS TO CLOSE AND APPLY SQUEEZING PRESSURE AGAINST A LOG THEREBETWEEN. 